Searching for Land
Aerial view of Farm on 42nd, winter 2019. We’ve come a long way since then.
It’s complicated.
The only way to farm that makes sense to me is as part of a vibrant community. With a smaller plot in the city limits, neighbors and friends could participate in the vibrancy of a farm ecosystem at their doorstep. With more land just beyond, I could follow more expansive dreams, have a larger orchard, even some forest crops. I would jump at the chance for either.
Who owns the land and who has the right to farm? Ownership is a strong word, I feel more drawn to land tenure - the assurance that next year, and the next, I can tend to the same piece of land. That’s assuming the wildfires let me. Will the landowners?
Did you know that 98% of land in the United States is owned by white folk? Do you know that it’s only gotten worse over the past 100 years? There’s a few organizations working to correct these wrongs that are worthy of note.
National Young Farmers Coalition
Center for Ethical Land Transition
Nuns and Nones - a faith based effort
If you have a resource to share, please send it my way. If you’d like to know more about my personal land search, see the page linked at the header at top.
